Graduate Student Support Opportunities
Graduate student support packages:
All students receive support $26,000 support packages derived from a combination of fellowships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships. This support is provided up to five years unless a student finds support elsewhere and as long as the student is in good standing.
Distinguished Fellowships for Incoming Students:
These fellowships include less teaching than the standard support package along with the annual stipend of $26,000 per year
- The Vavra Fellowship is awarded to recruit an outstanding applicant in the area of organismal plant biology.
- The Lida Scott Brown Fellowship is awarded to recruit an outstanding applicant in the area of avian biology.
- The Chairs' Fellowship is awarded to recruit outstanding applicants without taxonomic restrictions.
Departmental research support for continuing students:
All graduate students are encouraged to apply for summer fellowships, research grants, and travel awards. The following are funding sources are administered directly by our department. (For additional funding opportunities at UCLA, see below.)
- The Bartholomew Fund for Field Biology
Generously endowed by Ruth Bartholomew and George Bartholomew, our distinguished Professor Emeritus, this fund provides a summer fellowship ($6500) and research support for the top applicant in ecology, evolutionary biology, and/or conservation biology whose research has a significant field component. Eligible students must already have advanced to Ph.D. candidacy. Thus, one student per summer will receive the "Bartholomew Fellowship", additional students will receive Bartholomew Research Grants to support research expenses - The Lida Scott Brown Fund for
Avian Biology
One outstanding student will receive the Lida Scott Brown Fellowship ($6000 summer or academic year stipend with fees) to support research or dissertation writing in avian biology. We also provide several Lida Scott Brown Research Grants to support research and/or travel expenses for pilot studies in avian biology. - The Vavra Research Fellowship and Grants for Organismal Plant
Biology
The Vavra fund was established to support graduate education in organismal plant biology. One outstanding student will receive the Vavra Research Fellowship ($6000 summer or academic year stipend with fees). Vavra Research grants provide support for research or travel, special workshops, or courses at biological stations that are related to dissertation research in plant biology. Vavra funds are also awarded to provide full or partial travel and conference expenses for students wishing to attend scientific meetings where their research results on plant biology will be presented (maximum $1000). - Department Dissertation Completion Fellowship
($6000) to support doctoral students in the final stages of their dissertation research (must be advanced to candidacy). - Non-Resident Tuition Fellowship
for foreign students who have exceeded their allotment of tuition support. - Holmes O. Miller Fellowship
($5000) to support an outstanding doctoral student who is doing or planning to conduct field research. - Registration Fee Fellowship
for students who do not qualify for fee remissions through TA or GSR support or fellowships that include fees. - Departmental Conference Travel Grant
(max. $1000) for partial reimbursement of travel expenses to a scientific meeting in which the applicant gives a presentation.
Application Instructions
There are two application deadlines for departmental support: April 30, 2009, and October 02, 2009. This electronic application covers most forms of support for continuing graduate students that are administered by the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, except Teaching Assistantships. This application does not cover the various forms of support administered by the Graduate Division.
To access the Support Application click here (this is the login page for the graduate student web editor. Once you have logged in, select the "SUPPORT" tab.)
For Graduate Division programs and deadlines, go to: http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/asis/stusup/stusup.htm To have the best chance of receiving funding, you are encouraged you to submit an application before the April deadline and to submit an update (if needed) before the October deadline. If you are unable to meet the April deadline because of fieldwork or unavoidable circumstances, you should explain this clearly in the October application.
Additional Funding Opportunities at UCLA
In addition, the Graduate Division administers additional support available on a university-wide competitive basis. Graduate students in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology generally do well in these competitions. We typically have both academic year and summer Graduate Research Mentors for those students working with their major professors, University Dissertation Fellows for those students completing their dissertations, and Ursula Mandel Fellows for those dissertation projects with a biomedical component. Information can be obtained at the following graduate division web sites.
Graduate division fellowships for incoming students http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/asis/entsup/finsup.htm
- Eugene Cota Robles Fellowship: targeted towards students from cultural, racial, linguistic, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in graduate education that are pursuing a Ph.D.
- Graduate Opportunity Fellowship Program: targeted to students from cultural, racial, linguistic, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in graduate education and are aiming for a terminal MS.
- Dr. Ursula Mandel Scholarship: for Ph.D. students in scientific fields related, allied, or of value to the medical field.
- Charles F. Scott Fellowship: for graduate students with baccalaureates from UCLA; consideration may be given to students with baccalaureates from other UC campuses. Applicants must provide evidence that they are enrolled in a course of study that prepares them for leadership in national, state, or local governmental administration.
- Graduate division fellowships for continuing students http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/asis/stusup/stusup.htm
- Graduate Research Mentorship Program and Summer Research Mentorship Program: to support close work between graduate students and their faculty mentor.
- Dissertation Year Fellowship: to support students advanced to candidacy in the final stages of research and writing.
Finally, there are also fellowships available on a variety of training grants throughout the university (e.g., genetics, GK-12). Speak to your advisor about whether you qualify for these.
updated 4-13-09